1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antifungus, deodorant fiber material. More particularly, the present invention relates to an anti-fungus, deodorant fiber material having an enhanced anti-fungus and deodorant property and improved durability, especially a resistance to washing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various offensive odors are generated in day-to-day life and are directly or indirectly unpleasant or harmful.
The offensive odors are caused by nitrogen compounds, for example, ammonia and amine compounds, sulfur compounds, for example, hydrogen sulfide and mercaptan compounds; aldehyde compounds, ketone compounds, fatty acids, and hydrocarbons.
Under the Offensive Odor Prevention Law of Japan, ammonia, methyl mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide, methyl sulfide, trimethylamine, acetaldehyde, styrene, and methyl disulfide are designated as offensive odorous substances and are specifically regulated.
Various absorbing materials are utilized to eliminate the offensive odors and the offensive odor-generating substances. In organic absorbing materials, for example, activated carbon, silica gel, zeolite, and activated china clay and organic absorbing materials, for example, ion-exchange resins, and liquid absorbing materials comprising, as a main component, an abstract from camellia plants, are used as an offensive odor-absorbing material. Also, polyethylene fibrous materials having cation-exchange radicals and/or anion-exchange radicals introduced into polymers located in the surface portion of the fibers are used as an offensive odor-absorbing material.
However, most of the conventional absorbing materials are effective only for specific offensive odors generated from specific substances. Also, some of the conventional offensive odor-absorbing materials have a poor fiber-forming property; i.e., even if the absorbing materials are formed into fibers, the resultant fibers have an offensive odor-absorbing area located only on the surfaces of the fibers, and therefore, exhibit a small absorbing capacity and a poor durability in use.